Thanks to Colonel Hartmann’s consideration, I returned straight to my quarters and rested. The next morning, I headed to the General Staff Headquarters for work.
The cloudless weather and refreshing breeze were making me feel good, but as soon as I entered the headquarters, all that good mood vanished.
Because everyone I passed in the corridors treated me like some kind of ghost.
Lower-ranking officers stiffened up and saluted me repeatedly, while even my superiors avoided eye contact when I saluted, quickly returning it without meeting my gaze.
I had no idea what was going on until I stopped by the break room for coffee and figured out the whole story.
There were personnel staff talking about me.
“Did you hear? Operations Staff Captain Daniel Steiner. They say he pretended to go on leave but was actually carrying out a mission for Her Highness the Princess.”
“He also visited Duke Belvar’s manor this time, alongside Colonel Hartmann, who’s the Princess’s chief bodyguard.”
“Looks like now that he’s become a war hero, he’s diving into politics too. Anyway, don’t get on Daniel Steiner’s bad side—we don’t want to suffer because of it. And…”
The colonel from the Personnel Planning Department noticed me mid-sentence and trailed off awkwardly.
Startled and frozen in place, the colonel then gave me an uneasy smile.
He whispered something to his colleagues.
The officers chatting turned to glance at me, then uncomfortably cleared their throats.
The lowest-ranking major finally spoke to me.
“Uh… Good morning, Captain Daniel.”
I took a sip of coffee and replied.
“Yeah. Good morning. Guess it’s one of those days where gossiping suits the weather perfectly.”
At my words, everyone started glancing around nervously, dumping their coffee and hurrying away.
“I suddenly remembered I have urgent work to do…”
“Ah, I also need to meet the director, so I should go…”
Everyone muttered excuses and left the break room in a line.
Watching them go, I sighed quietly.
Judging from the strange rumors spreading around the General Staff Headquarters, it seemed I had inadvertently become “Her Highness the Princess’s closest confidant.”
Not that I could blame the rumor-mongers.
‘If I were in their shoes, I’d probably think the same thing.’
Considering the circumstances, it would be odd not to think of me as the Princess’s closest aide.
But it was giving me a headache since that wasn’t my intention at all.
‘How did things end up like this…?’
All I wanted was to enjoy my vacation back home, but after unintentionally dismantling the Prince’s secret organization, everything spiraled out of control.
‘What does His Majesty the Emperor think of me now…?’
Even though I’d previously been told by the Emperor himself that soldiers must maintain political neutrality, here I was, taking actions that were undeniably political.
‘He probably doesn’t view me favorably.’
Even a child knows it’s not wise to incur the Emperor’s displeasure.
Though worrying about something that hasn’t happened yet is a bad habit.
After finishing the remaining coffee, I crumpled the paper cup and threw it into the nearby trash can.
Carrying my briefcase, I left the break room and climbed the stairs to my personal office.
Opening the door and looking inside, Lucy was there as usual, busy with her work.
Lucy noticed my presence, looked up, and immediately stood to salute.
“Captain. You’re early today.”
“I couldn’t sleep for some reason. By the way, you don’t need to worry about the Security Bureau anymore.”
“…You resolved it?”
Nodding, I headed toward my desk but paused.
On my desk sat a neatly wrapped box tied with a ribbon.
Curious, I tapped it lightly.
“What’s this? Looks suspicious.”
“It’s apple strudel. I thought you might like it.”
“Huh? Does the dessert shop sell this? I thought it wasn’t common around here since it’s Southern cuisine.”
Lucy hesitated briefly before answering.
“I made it myself.”
“…You made it?”
Lucy nodded expressionlessly, leaving me no choice but to break out in cold sweat.
‘An assassination attempt?’
A shiver ran down my spine, but I quickly regained composure.
‘They wouldn’t try to kill me in the General Staff Headquarters… especially not in a space where only two people are present.’
It’d be far too easy to pinpoint the culprit if they attempted murder here.
It was unlikely Lucy intended this as an assassination dish.
‘So… this is purely a gesture of goodwill, offering me dessert?’
After pondering for a moment, realization dawned on me.
‘Could she think I saved her from the Security Bureau?’
In reality, I acted out of self-interest, but somehow I’d given her the wrong impression.
Still, there was no need to clear things up, so I simply nodded and untied the ribbon.
As the ribbon came undone, the box opened like a blooming flower, revealing beautifully baked apple strudel inside.
“Looks delicious.”
I picked up the utensils included in the box, cut off a small piece of the strudel, and popped it into my mouth.
Chewing a few times, I couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration.
“This is… incredible.”
The fresh, tangy flavor of apples mixed with the warm, aromatic scent of cinnamon.
The crunchiness of walnuts and almonds added texture, while sugar and raisins subtly announced their presence.
And the dough was perfectly cooked, giving off a rich aroma.
Of all the apple strudels I’ve tasted, this one was undoubtedly the best.
“You could open a business with this. Do you enjoy cooking regularly?”
It was a genuinely curious question, but Lucy blinked blankly as if unsure how to handle compliments.
She paused for a moment before speaking.
“Not really. I bought a cookbook yesterday and practiced…”
Lucy stopped mid-sentence, seemingly embarrassed to admit she’d practiced cooking just for me.
After fumbling for a bit, Lucy regained her composure and said:
“…It’s a token of gratitude for your concern yesterday.”
With that, Lucy bowed slightly and sat back down, resuming her work with a stoic expression—though her ears were noticeably red.
‘Also…’
A bandage was stuck on her left index finger, likely from cutting apples.
She truly went above and beyond preparing this treat for her superior—a model aide-de-camp if ever there was one.
‘The problem is…’
This aide-de-camp might still be plotting to assassinate me.
Most likely, this strudel was crafted to lower my guard.
Thinking about it made my throat tighten.
‘I guess I’ll…’
Take the rest of the food back to my quarters and deal with it there.
—
Meanwhile, in the reception room of the Imperial Palace.
“What… did you just say?”
Prince Arno, with his striking blonde hair, twitched his eyes in disbelief.
The news delivered by Deputy Director Felissten of the Intelligence Bureau was simply absurd.
Though Prince Arno wanted to deny reality, Felissten repeated his words despite the awkward silence.
“…Duke Belvar has announced his withdrawal from the succession struggle. He’s currently locked himself in his room, refusing all outside contact.”
It was a bolt from the blue.
From Prince Arno’s perspective, with the Dawn of the Night having been apprehended, Belvar’s support was essential to continue the succession battle.
Now, with Belvar abruptly withdrawing his backing, Arno felt utterly bewildered.
“What… why…”
Responding to Arno’s mutterings, Felissten answered.
“We don’t know the exact details, but it seems he changed his mind after a conversation with Captain Daniel Steiner.”
“…Daniel Steiner? That guy again?”
Arno, who had been laughing in resignation, suddenly shouted.
“Why does that bastard keep interfering with me?! Why!?”
Ever since the northern assassination incident, Captain Daniel Steiner had been blocking Arno’s path and ruining every single plan.
Now, by withdrawing Belvar’s support, Steiner had effectively shattered Arno’s future prospects.
His head throbbed painfully.
Simultaneously, rage began bubbling up from within.
“Deputy Director! The fight isn’t over yet! Find me evidence to arrest Daniel Steiner immediately! Proof that he used private soldiers! For me…”
Arno’s voice trailed off.
The deputy director, who usually would nod resolutely, was instead checking his surroundings cautiously.
When Arno noticed this, the deputy director bowed apologetically.
“Your Majesty… we conducted our own investigation, but no evidence has surfaced.”
“No evidence?”
“Yes. We suspected Captain Daniel had built a personal network and launched a large-scale investigation, but nothing was found.”
Sweat trickled down the deputy director’s forehead.
“If he could dismantle the Dawn of the Night so efficiently, there must be a large organization behind him. Normally, such an organization would have a communication system in place. However, Daniel…”
The deputy director bowed even deeper.
“During his time in the south, Daniel never communicated with anyone in the organization. And the group that attacked the Dawn of the Night has completely vanished without a trace.”
“What…?”
“Your Majesty… to be honest, it feels like chasing a ghost. We have no idea how Daniel Steiner operates.”
Fear crept into the deputy director’s voice.
Which caused Arno, who had been stunned, to slump into his chair.
“In short… even the deputy director of the Empire’s Intelligence Bureau couldn’t find any traces of his operation. That means Captain Daniel Steiner meticulously carried out his mission.”
Realizing this, the boiling anger inside Arno cooled into icy frustration.
That icy frustration soon transformed into an indescribable sense of fear.
“…What exactly is Daniel Steiner?”
To the prince’s question, the deputy director struggled to answer.
Even the deputy director couldn’t define Daniel Steiner properly.
‘He’s just… someone who will stop at nothing to achieve his purpose… and leaves no trace behind.’
There was no other way to describe him besides being a ghost-like existence.
